Chapter 429: 453 Everyone Assemble!!! (Seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)

453 Everyone Assemble!!! (Seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)

In the Apartment, having finished several calls, Lin Xiuyuan slumped onto the sofa, his whole body sinking limply into the cushions.

He stared blankly at the ceiling with his mouth slightly agape, looking like a man who had lost all will to live.

His phone was still clutched in his hand; the screen was covered in red dots of unread messages, the number having jumped from single digits to double digits, and it was still growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The light in the Living Room had shifted from the brightness of the morning to the softness of the afternoon. The early winter wind snuck in through the gaps in the window, carrying a hint of crisp chill, blowing the corners of the sheer curtains and causing them to drift gently in the air. Read good books at Tian Tian Kan Novel, 𝕥𝕥𝕜. 𝕥𝕨, it's amazing.

Park Hyomin stood beside the sofa, her gaze landing on Lin Xiuyuan's lifeless face, then shifted to Li Juli, feeling a bit confused.

So she moved over to Li Juli's side and asked, "Unnie, isn't that a bit exaggerated? Nothing actually happened."

Having said that, she glanced at Lin Xiuyuan and continued, "Even if we fell into a snow cave, at most we'd just be injured and need some recovery. It's not like it's anything fatal; this whole setup is a bit scary."

Li Juli sat on the single-seat sofa. Hearing Park Hyomin's question, she didn't answer immediately, but instead looked at the other woman's young face before replying.

"Xiaomin, you are from the 2013 side, and you've only just come into contact with this situation. Plus, you're still young, so it's normal that you can't understand our anxiety for the time being."

"However, I can explain it in a way you might understand a little better."

"For example, if Xiuyuan could keep you in your current state for twenty years, do you think you would worry about something happening to him in such a situation?"

After hearing the answer, Park Hyomin was stunned for a moment.

She lowered her head, looking at her fingers clasped in front of her.

Those hands were fair and slender, with distinct knuckles, glowing with a healthy pink luster.

Then she turned her hands over; the skin was smooth and delicate, without any wrinkles or blemishes.

She was in her early twenties this year, exactly the time when her skin was in its best state, but she hadn't had such a good state before; this was something Lin Xiuyuan had brought her.

By comparison, she had seen what many women in their forties looked like.

The wrinkles on their faces, the fine lines at the corners of their eyes, sagging skin, dull complexions, and that kind of exhaustion that seeped from their very bones, which no amount of makeup could cover.

Actually, sometimes she had thought about what she would be like in the future—would she also become like that? Could she accept it?

If she could really delay her current state until her forties, she would be willing to pay any price for it.

No, not willing—she would beg for it.

In this world that judges by appearance, in this society that is almost cruel regarding a woman's age and looks, being able to maintain a youthful state is an incomparable asset.

It allows her to face the camera, the crowd, and this world with calm confidence.

Thinking of this, Park Hyomin instantly understood the worries of Li Juli and the others.

It wasn't because she had suddenly become mature, but because she finally understood that Lin Xiuyuan's value didn't just lie in that Gate, but in so much more.

Thinking of this, Park Hyomin raised her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan.

At the same time, Lin Xiuyuan had finally recovered his energy, so he sat up straight on the sofa and rubbed his face vigorously with both hands.

Then he stretched his neck, turned his head to look at the two of them, and said, "Let's go, let's head back to the Villa."

However, when his gaze landed on Park Hyomin, he asked one more thing, "Wait a second, regarding Xiaomin's situation, should she change into something more comfortable?"

Hearing this, Park Hyomin looked down at the sexy nightgown under her coat, her face turning slightly red, and she instinctively looked at Li Juli.

The latter smiled slightly and tilted her chin toward a direction at the end of the hallway, "My walk-in closet is this way, come with me."

Ten-plus minutes later.

Lin Xiuyuan watched as the two women came out having changed their clothes. His gaze lingered on them for a moment, then he withdrew it and turned to walk toward a door.

In a few seconds, the three of them had returned from the Apartment to the Villa.

And less than two minutes after they returned, before they even had time to sit their bottoms on the sofa, the sound of the electronic lock on the front door rang out.

The "beep-beep-beep" of the keypad, then a "click" as the latch popped open.

Clearly, someone was opening the door to come in.

So the three of them turned their gazes toward the entrance.

A few seconds later, Kim Taeyeon's figure appeared there.

As soon as she pushed the door open, her gaze immediately swept from the outside into the Living Room behind the floor-to-ceiling windows, and then it was fixed straight onto Lin Xiuyuan.

What else could Lin Xiuyuan do when their eyes met?

He could only smile and raise his hand, making a silent "hi" gesture toward her, his mouth curling into a smile.

The result, however, was an angry glare from Kim Taeyeon.

She really hadn't expected that at noon, she had just been brought back to the '25 side by Lin Xiuyuan. At that time, he had come and gone in such a rush that she hadn't even had time to ask about Park Hyomin's situation.

She hadn't expected to receive such explosive news in the blink of an eye.

Blizzard, missing, snow cave, almost lost.

The images of the events composed of these words were just churning repeatedly in her mind, unable to stop.

When she saw that message, Kim Taeyeon was trembling all over—not because of fear, but because of a helplessness more fatal than fear.

What if something happened to Lin Xiuyuan? What if he really fell in? If she just lost him like this, lost everything she had just reclaimed, what would she do?

Li Juli, who also saw this scene, laughed and looked at Lin Xiuyuan beside her, saying, "That's what you get for being reckless and hiding things. Do you know you were wrong now? Actually, telling us sooner would have saved us from so many problems."

"Say no more, aren't I bearing the consequences now?" Lin Xiuyuan covered his face and gave a helpless, bitter smile.

By this time, Kim Taeyeon had already crossed the courtyard and entered the Villa.

Her ankle boots tapped on the wooden floor, making a rhythmic, crisp sound.

However, when she reached the middle of the Living Room, she ignored the protagonist, Lin Xiuyuan, and walked straight toward Li Juli's side.

Then she fixed her gaze on Park Hyomin, who was standing next to Li Juli. Looking at the other woman's young face, her expression slowly changed from the previous seriousness to a soft smile.

"Xiaomin, I didn't expect you to be the one to come over first this time. I thought it would be Juli who came over first."

Li Juli, standing nearby, replied, "I heard from Xiuyuan that the 'me' on that side hasn't had much contact with him. Forget it, let her play on her own. According to my original thoughts, she definitely hasn't had enough fun yet."

"No rush, take it slow," Kim Taeyeon nodded. Her gaze shifted from Park Hyomin's face and swept around the Living Room, as if confirming something.

And Park Hyomin, watching Kim Taeyeon enter, was actually quite shocked inside.

Beyond the changes in the other person's face, there were more of the vicissitudes they had experienced.

The information she saw on her phone that morning—the news, rumors, and gossip about Kim Taeyeon—flashed rapidly through her mind.

The depression and panic disorder that appeared due to the accident, the long hiatus, and the footage of her forcing a smile in front of the camera.

During this time, Park Hyomin tried to put herself in the other's shoes, imagining what it would be like if she were Kim Taeyeon and had gone through those things.

As it turned out, just thinking about it felt terrifying; if she had truly experienced it, she felt...

She probably would have been able to endure it, but it would be best not to experience it at all.

Her gaze was naturally captured by Kim Taeyeon, who glanced at her sideways and offered a smile, "What is it, Xiaomin? Can't recognize me?"

"No, just a little curious." Park Hyomin shook her head and withdrew her gaze from Kim Taeyeon's face.

Although she didn't say what she was curious about, Kim Taeyeon could roughly guess some of it, so she softly comforted her.

"It's a normal reaction. You'll be fine after seeing me a few more times. After all, this kind of thing is still too unbelievable."

Facing Kim Taeyeon's comfort, Park Hyomin, who had found resonance, agreed very much, "Yeah, I think so too."

On the sofa, Lin Xiuyuan saw that Kim Taeyeon hadn't paid him any mind after coming in, and inexplicably, he started feeling that familiar, self-deprecating itch again.

Then he cleared his throat and spoke with a laugh that he tried to make as natural as possible, "Taeyeon, you're dressed so beautifully today."

After saying this, he even curled up the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile he thought was very handsome.

As it turned out, this attempt at flattery went straight to the horse's leg.

Hearing the voice, Kim Taeyeon turned around, her eyebrows raised slightly, revealing a look that was half-smile and half-not, and then she spoke.

Yet every word seemed to carry thorns, "Xiuyuan, this is just a set of clothes I grabbed from the closet in a rush to leave. By saying that, are you implying that the outfits I carefully selected before were all a pile of shit?"

"Hahaha, hahaha!"

Li Juli couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing immediately.

She leaned her whole body against the sofa armrest, leaning directly onto Park Hyomin beside her.

Park Hyomin was the same, but she covered her mouth with her hand, her shoulders trembling slightly, not daring to laugh so wantonly at the 25-year-old Kim Taeyeon just yet.

Lin Xiuyuan, who had been retorted, knew that she was definitely angry with him.

But being retorted like that, the corners of his mouth still couldn't help but twitch, and his smile froze completely on his face.

Finally, he simply closed his mouth, lowered his head, and started playing with his phone.

Like a prisoner waiting for a verdict, he looked calm on the surface, but inside, he was already prepared to be scolded.

As it turned out, Kim Taeyeon spoke again at this moment, "Xiuyuan, stop playing with your phone for a second."

Then she walked up to him, reached out to take the phone away, sat down, and looked straight at him.

"When I came over just now, Xiujing made a call in the group chat, and after everyone discussed it briefly, we finally decided it would be better if you went back and called Xiuyan and the others over too."

Once these words were out, Lin Xiuyuan was stunned.

What does that mean?

Is there going to be a grand trial?

He didn't kill anyone or set anything on fire; wasn't it just hiding one accident? Was it necessary to make such a big scene?

Seeing his expression, Kim Taeyeon finally smiled at him, no longer the angry kind, but explaining in a relatively gentle tone.

"Don't overthink it. According to Xiujing's idea, she just wants everyone to sit down and formally talk about your situation."

Mentioning Xiujing, her gaze toward Lin Xiuyuan deepened a little, "You know how Xiujing treats you yourself; she definitely wouldn't treat you badly. This is her idea."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan, who also wanted to solve the problem once and for all, stood up without further hesitation.

"Fine, fine. But it's hard to say if they have time. After all, you know, it's the end of the year, everyone is busy, and schedules are packed. It's not like I can just call them over and they'll come."

"Then wait until night, wait until the early morning. Today, no matter what, the whole group must gather."

Kim Taeyeon's tone was very firm. When she said "the whole group," her finger drew a circle in the air, including everyone.

The 13-year-old ones, the 25-year-old ones, the ones here, the ones there, everyone who had a connection to Lin Xiuyuan.

And so it was.

Lin Xiuyuan, having been assigned the task, simply took Park Hyomin back to the 13-year-old Apartment.

After returning to the Apartment, Lin Xiuyuan immediately found his phone, unlocked it, opened the 【Jieyou】 group, and added Park Hyomin, who was beside him.

Looking down at the 【Jieyou】 group on his phone and the very familiar faces inside, Park Hyomin smiled.

"Xiuyuan, so this is what you guys call the members?"

"Pretty much." Lin Xiuyuan nodded.

"Alright, Hyomin, you know the situation, so you go ahead and notify them."

As he spoke, Lin Xiuyuan immediately collapsed onto the sofa, his head resting on the edge and his hands spread out like a sun-dried salted fish, "I'm definitely going to be besieged later, so let me enjoy my last meal before the execution properly now."

Watching Lin Xiuyuan's posture as he lay flat, Park Hyomin laughed and chided him, "It's not that exaggerated, at most they'll just scold you a couple of times."

Lin Xiuyuan didn't make a sound, just waved his hand, then yawned, turned over, lay on his side on the sofa, and closed his eyes, preparing to take a nap.

Seeing this, Park Hyomin didn't disturb him, but sat down gently beside him, looking around the Apartment she had entered for the first time while sending the first message in the group.

Her fingers tapped lightly on the screen, typing out two words.

【Hello, everyone.】

As for this group, the members on the 2013 side basically didn't mute it because every message in the group was quite important, so when Park Hyomin sent this sentence, those few people who were playing with their phones were all startled.

Backstage at the television station.

Lin Xiaolu, with her hair tied in a low ponytail, was sitting in front of the vanity mirror, waiting for the staff to come and touch up her makeup.

Holding her phone in her hand, she was boredly scrolling through social media, swiping down one by one.

When she discovered a group message notification popping up at the top of the screen, she didn't think much of it and carelessly swiped open the notification to enter the group.

Then she froze completely.

A newcomer appeared in the group chat to say hello, and that person's profile picture was a photo she was very familiar with.

She stared at that photo for two seconds, then took another look at the message the other person had sent.

After a few breaths, Lin Xiaolu stood up quickly and walked toward Zheng Xiuyan, who was applying lipstick in front of the mirror, "Unnie, big news!"

Her voice was not loud, but the nervousness and excitement in her tone made the lipstick in Zheng Xiuyan's hand tremble.

"What is it?"

Zheng Xiuyan took the lipstick away from her lips, turned around, and looked at Lin Xiaolu's face, which was filled with shock, her brows slightly furrowed.

"Xiaomin has joined the group."

Zheng Xiuyan, who had originally thought Lin Xiaolu was just making a fuss, widened her eyes the moment she heard this.

She looked at Lin Xiaolu inside the mirror, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the mirror surface and Lin Xiaolu's phone screen, her lips slightly parted, then closed again.

"Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"

"See for yourself." Lin Xiaolu handed the phone to Zheng Xiuyan.

The group interface on the screen clearly displayed the newly joined name, as well as the message that had just been sent.

And Zheng Xiuyan stared at the conversation that had popped up in the group for a few seconds, her gaze moving back and forth between that name and that profile picture, as if confirming this wasn't some prank or system error.

Then her lips slowly pressed into a line, and she squeezed a sentence out through her teeth, "Damn man, he really hooked up with her."

Just at this moment, the conversation in the group also began.

……

Because on the other side earlier.

Park Jiyeon, who also saw this message, immediately turned her gaze toward Enjing, her expression changing from exhaustion to shock.

At this moment, the two of them were sitting on the floor of the practice room, having just finished a high-intensity rehearsal, covered in sweat, their hair damp and sticking to their foreheads.

Enjing, who was drinking water, saw Park Jiyeon's expression, put down her water bottle, and leaned over to take a look at the screen.

Then she, too, froze.

At this time, thinking of that phone call from the morning, Park Jiyeon seemed to have guessed something, so the look she gave Enjing held a few more questions.

Being stared at like this by her own youngest member, Enjing's mouth twitched slightly, "I... didn't expect Xiaomin to be so quick either."

To this, Park Jiyeon said nothing.

She just stayed silent for a few seconds, then lowered her head and began to respond to Park Hyomin in the group, trying her best to keep this Unnie from performing a one-woman show.

【Unnie?? Where are you now?】

Seeing this, Enjing also took out her phone and did the same, adding a line in the group: 【That's right, that's right, once you're done, hurry back to the company to rehearse.】

At the same time.

Xueli and Zheng Xiujing also saw the message on their end.

The two were currently participating in a team activity, so they saw the message in the group almost simultaneously, then looked up and met each other's eyes.

"Xiaomin Unnie joined the group?" Zheng Xiujing's voice was filled with complete disbelief.

"Mm, I knew this morning; this is the benefit of being close, Xiujing, do you want to come live over here too?"

Xueli swallowed the strawberry in her mouth, wiped her fingers with a tissue, and began to set a trap.

However, while setting the trap, she didn't forget to join the "Welcome" ranks, sending a few emojis and a few short greetings in the group.

Yet just at this moment, Park Hyomin threw out another message.

The length of this message was much longer than the first, and the content was much more explosive than the first.

【Um, there's a problem now that everyone might need to gather for. It's that when I went skiing in Niseko with Lin Xiuyuan last time, we actually experienced one or two quite dangerous situations. Now the people over there know, and they want to say let's all get together and chat about the issues regarding Lin Xiuyuan moving forward.】

Park Jiyeon in the practice room was so scared she stood up immediately, startling Enjing, who quickly grabbed her little hand.

Although she was also startled, she didn't forget the situation at hand, "Calm down, Zhiyan, ask and see the situation first, don't be in a rush."

So Park Jiyeon asked in the group: 【What danger? Unnie, I followed along, how come I don't know about it?】

【The blizzard on the mountain top was very heavy at the time, and at that time Lin Xiuyuan and I got separated from everyone for a while. Later, Lin Xiuyuan almost fell off the mountain, and I also almost fell into a snow cave; that's about it. Now that the people over there know, they're a bit panicked and want to hold a meeting.】

As soon as this sentence came out, Park Hyomin noticed that the group was just like the situation over in '25, quiet for a moment.

The messages on the screen stopped scrolling, and time seemed to freeze in that instant.

It seems it's not just the people in 2025 who are panicked; the people in 2013 are the same.

Following closely, messages began to flood the screen crazily, like a floodgate being opened, unstoppable.

Lin Xiaolu: 【What??? Fell into a snow cave? Fell off the mountain? Is it the very dangerous kind?】

Park Hyomin: 【It was quite dangerous at the time, but it was just luck, and then no accidents happened.】

Zheng Xiuyan: 【……】

An anxious Xueli simply replied with a voice message, her voice very panicked, 【Unnie, are you guys at the Apartment now? I'll head back once I finish work.】

Zheng Xiujing, sitting beside her, did not reply, but her tightly furrowed brows proved that her heart at this moment was actually not calm.

At this time, even Goo Hara popped up: 【Zhenli, wait for me when the time comes, pick me up.】

……

Behind the scenes at the Girls' Generation live stage.

Jin Ruanruan, who had just finished changing clothes and come out, hadn't even had time to speak when she suddenly heard a very sharp screeching sound in her ears.

That was the sound of metal chair legs being violently pushed across the floor, harsh and sharp, like a knife scraping across glass, making one's scalp tingle.

Looking in the direction of the sound, she discovered it was Zheng Xiuyan who had stood up.

The movement was large, so large that the chair behind her was pushed far away, carving an arc on the floor, and then fell to the ground with a "clatter."

Then her expression was also very serious, her brows tightly furrowed, her lips pressed into a line, and her whole person radiated a "keep strangers away" aura; the atmosphere tightened up all at once.

And at this moment, she was staring intently at the phone in her hand, the light from the screen reflecting on her face, her pupils slightly constricted, her entire face filled with complex emotions of anger and worry.

Lin Xiaolu, who was beside her, was the same, although her expression was not as serious as Zheng Xiuyan's, the worry in her eyes was the same.

That small mouth opened and closed slightly, closed and opened again, as if it had temporarily lost the ability to produce sound.

The others who noticed this situation also looked over one after another, and everyone's gaze was focused on Zheng Xiuyan and Lin Xiaolu.

The atmosphere in the backstage waiting room suddenly became heavy.

At this moment, Sunny and Jin Ruanruan exchanged a glance, then walked over together, intending to ask what was going on.

Both of their footsteps were fast, yet very light, as if they were afraid of disturbing something.

As it turned out, before the two of them could even reach Zheng Xiuyan, she had already closed her phone, placed it face down in her palm, lifted her head, and fixed her gaze on Jin Ruanruan.

"Taeyeon, after we finish here, will it be evening?"

Jin Ruanruan nodded, not asking any further.

Because she knew that if Zheng Xiuyan wanted to say something, she would say it herself.

If she didn't want to say it, asking would be useless.

"Then after the schedule ends, the evening rehearsal will have to be pushed back," Zheng Xiuyan said, then bent down to pick up the chair that had fallen to the floor, returned it to its original position, and sat down.

Faced with this situation, the other members looked at each other in dismay; no one dared to speak, their gazes merely communicating in silence.

Everyone had guessed something.

Something had happened, and it was no small matter.

In the blink of an eye, night fell and the bright lights came on.

The sky over Seoul changed from the deep blue of dusk to the ink-black of night, and twinkling lights lit up in every corner of the city, like a black cloth sprinkled with gold dust.

Several cars from various corners of Seoul passed through street after street, past streetlamp after streetlamp, converging in the same direction and heading straight for the Apartment.

Some of the car stereos were on, while others were off.

Some people were on the phone, some were sending messages, and others were just driving quietly, their gazes fixed on the road ahead, their minds occupied with their own thoughts.

And the same scene was also appearing over in the year 2025.

Several graceful figures who had finished their work were each driving their own vehicles, heading straight for the Villa.

Their routes were different and their speeds were different, but their destination was the same.

It was that Villa located somewhere in Seoul, that Gate connecting the two worlds, the place where that person was.

Immediately.

Everyone assemble!!!